Anhörig - de som står bredvid ett missbruk : En kvalitativ innehållsanalys av fem självbiografiska böcker.

Sammanfattning: The aim of this study was to examine the feelings experienced by family members of someone with a substance abuse. A qualitative approach has been used and the study was based on five autobiographical books, written by Swedish authors, both female and male. The focus was the authors’ described narrative, experiences and behaviors. The empirical material was analyzed using a gender perspective and Goffmans’ dramaturgical perspective as a complement. By using these perspectives, it became possible to understand the roles and relationships within the families and to see if the experiences differed whether described by a male or female author. Some of the key findings of this study were that the substance abuse has a big impact on both the user and the people around them and that it affects the roles and relationships within the family in various ways. The narratives reveal ambivalent feelings towards both the narrator and the person with the substance abuse, such as anger but also love and loyalty. As a conclusion of this study it was found that it isn’t possible to identify differences in descriptions regarding feelings between female and male authors. Another conclusion of the study was that substance use affects the people living close to it, in similar ways regardless of gender.